Seedy J

I read the Allen Carr book and quit smoking on Wednesday last week. I haven't had time to do any "real" rides yet (just commuting) but I'm already noticing a difference on the bike. It's a lot easier to ride at higher heart rates (like 170+), and I seem to go much faster at lower heart rates too. Yesterday I set two personal bests on my commute. Looking forward to seeing how hills and fast/interval rides feel now.

So, has anyone else here quit smoking, and how did it affect your cycling?

ecp8

I quit after 18 years about 4 years ago. Now I'm on a team and race. Cycling only gets better after quitting.

rdubbz

2 years for me. September, 14 2007 was the last time i had a cigarette.

skinbasher

I have been smoke free for almost 2 years,i needed a sport or a hobby and i picked cycling.Best choice of my live.

ls01

been almost 5 years for me, after 25 years of smoking.

mattm

Quit about a month ago after roughly a decade of smoking. Hard to tell if it's affected my cycling much, but I do feel better all around.

The hardest part for me was that I was already doing OK in races & 24+ hour rides (brevets), but I figure there's always room for improvement (such as winning a race), and this was a step in the right direction.

Anyway congrats on quitting!

RatedZeroHero

25ish or so odd years somewhere around a year... I didn't pay attention to the date...

after quitting drinking it was really easy and really necessary.

after a nerve block for shoulder surgery my diaphragm was all kinds of non cooperative...

cycling has opened my lungs to a point I have never had them... AND IT IS FREEKING AWESOME TO BREATHE!!!

(best part is not always making sure I had a pack of smokes and some fire...)

CameronC

You smoked and did 24 hour rides?
That is an oddity I would think.

Ex-smoker.

badhat

pack and a hlaf a day for 10 years. quit 6 years ago. AFTER two years of cycling seriously including a season as a messenger.

ILUVUK

quit 3 years ago...started cycling around the same time. i plan to start smoking again when i hit 70.

K&K_Dad

quit when my first kid was born. Didn't ride/run at the time but I could barely make it up a flight of steps without getting winded, and I'm a Paramedic. Quit Cold turkey 3 years ago and have had a cigar when my child was born and nothing else. Pretty much quit drinking as well. My heart rate is lower, BP lower and body weight lower. Best thing I ever did for myself. When I ran my first mile not long after quitting I ran a 14 something. Now I can do 8:00 easy not a feat for some but it's miles for me. just remember after the nicoteen is out of your system then it's just fighting the habit. You're already 50% there and doing good. One less smoker in the world makes the world a better place. good luck on the rest of your journey.

Jude

Never smoked heavily or regularly enough to have it be a major problem, but it sure can hurt...one Sunday morning, after staying up late Saturday smoking a lot of hookah, I found my level of stamina to suddenly be back around where it was when I first started cycling. Since then I've been taking it pretty easy on the tobacco.

mumei

Smoke free for 415 days, 1 hour, 57 minutes and 38 seconds after about 20 years of a pack a day. My better half let me reward myself with a bike even though I already had two. Bless her. Got myself a Schwinn Madison; it was cheaper than the amount I would have spent on cigarettes.

logdrum

weed or cigarillos?

kudude

aren't cigarettes required with the chrome bag and fixed gear?

bigtea

I quit smoking 28 years ago. It's hard to believe now, but years ago I was actually riding as a smoker. While on rest stops I'd light up! As it turned out, I used cycling as my motivator to quit smoking and stay a non-smoker.

How did it affect my cycling? Just like it did my life...I feel better, I'll live longer, and I love being healthy and fit.

CCrew

Keep with it. I stopped Thursday of last week after 35+ years of smoking. I'm a "stats" person and already see a difference against existing numbers, especially in HR and recovery. That's also my incentive to keep on going.... But it's a hard hard thing to do and so easy to regress.

I'd ride and the first thing I'd do was light up when I'd stop. Think of it this way too, less stuff to carry!

bigworm

God...I try, but I just can't get rid of them. I don't smoke much...maybe 4 or 5 a day. I want to stop, but find I get bored and want a smoke. It's hard to stay on the bike all day to get rid of the boredome. It's starting to make me mad that I can't put down the last few so hopefully that will be motivation to finally be done with them. Hope that my speed will pick up when I am finally done, can't seem to get over the 15.5 mph average no matter how long or short my rides are.

Scorer75

I'll quit, eventually.

bigtea

“It's easy to quit smoking. I've done it hundreds of times.” ....Mark Twain

DPN

My last smoke was at 9:45 a.m., on March 15, 2000. I remember it well. I smoked over 25 years, and wish I had quit earlier.

Hang in there. It DOES get easier...

And, with all the money saved on smokes I bought a Pinarello!

DPN

mumei

If you like numbers and are quitting, you might want to think about joining quitnet.com. It has a free and a paid service, but I found the free one to be sufficient.

Good luck and more power to you.

jessemathis

Almost 2 years ago for me. That is when I started riding a bike. However, I do chew now .... Hey, at least I can breath. I imagine one day I'll quit that to.

false_cause

Last cigarette was at 11:30pm on January 15, 2002. Had my wisdom teeth out the next morning and used it as an opportunity to quit. I wasn't riding at the time, but I literally could not run a mile without walking before quitting and could go 2 miles at a 7:30 minute pace one month later. Best decision I ever made.

fastbub

me too, why the hell not if I make it that far